Yelp, TinyCo to settle US charges of improperly collecting kids' data

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The online review site Yelp and mobile app developer TinyCo have agreed to settle separate charges that they improperly collected children's online information, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday.

Under the terms of the settlements, Yelp will pay a $450,000 civil penalty, while privately held TinyCo will pay a $300,000 civil penalty.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, requires that companies collecting information about children under 13 online follow a number of steps to ensure that children’s information is protected.